The Russian army used the newest ballistic missile, "Oreshnik," for strikes on Ukraine following the use of Western long-range weapons on Russian territory, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated in his address.
"In response to the use of American and British weapons on November 21, 2024, the Russian Armed Forces conducted a combined strike on a defense-industrial complex facility in Ukraine. In combat conditions, one of Russia's latest medium-range missile systems was tested. In this case, it involved a ballistic missile with a non-nuclear hypersonic configuration, which our missile operators have named 'Oreshnik,'" Putin was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti.
According to him, modern air defense systems cannot intercept "Oreshnik" missiles because they strike at speeds of Mach 10 (2.5–3 kilometers per second). Putin emphasized that Russia would inform civilians in Ukraine and citizens of other friendly countries in advance, allowing them to leave the strike zone.
He also stated that Moscow has the right to target facilities in countries whose weapons are used against Russia. Additionally, Putin announced that Russian forces had destroyed all long-range missiles that Ukraine had employed in strikes deep into Russian territory.
"Our air defense systems repelled these attacks. As a result, the objectives that the enemy had clearly set for themselves were not achieved. The use of such weapons by the enemy cannot influence the course of military operations in the zone of the special military operation (SVO)," Putin said, referring to strikes by ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles on Russian territory.
The president of Russia further claimed that Western long-range weapon strikes deep into Russian territory have transformed the conflict in Ukraine into a global one. While Moscow is prepared for any development, it prefers to resolve contentious issues peacefully.
"From this point on, as we have repeatedly emphasized, the Western-provoked conflict in Ukraine has taken on global dimensions. Should aggressive actions escalate, we will respond decisively and reciprocally. I recommend that the ruling elites of countries considering deploying their troops against Russia think seriously about this," Putin warned.
He called the U.S. decision to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 2019 a "mistake."
